Nyob zoo kuv tsev neeg!
It's officially into my fifth week here, can you believe it! It feels like yesterday that I was sending you guys an e-mail on p-day! Like I said a couple e-mails ago, the days drag on because of how long and hard we work, but the weeks fly by!
The language is coming along really well! The more that I'm learning about the language and the people, the more excited I am just go get out into the field already and get into the actual work. Once a week we take only about half an hour and specifically are taught about the Hmong people/history/culture/traditions, it is so awesome! Like for instance, funerals in a Hmong family usually last around a week, is insanely intricite in their native rituals, and usually they kill a couple cows to feed all the family. Definitely not like how we're used to doing things :) The hardest part about the thing is still understanding the language when it is spoken to us. All our teachers sound like they're speaking different languages sometimes. Bah. It will come, just it comes slowly.
Speaking of speaking different languages (that sounded really confusing), there is probably a 50-50 chance when I get there because the Hmong people will be speaking a different dialect. We are learning White Hmong, but lots of people in California speak Green Hmong. Out teachers say that it is like Spanish and Portugese - Portugese people (like Green Hmong) can understand what Spanish people are saying, but Spanish people (like White Hmong) can't understand Portugese. GREAT! I'm actually really excited to learn both. They sound similiar, just Green Hmong is more nasally and some things are switched around. Like I said, I really just want to get out into the field and dive into learning the language!
More importantly, I'm so excited to teach the people and help them come unto Christ. I had something of a mini-epiphany in class the other day. It's really easy here, learning a language at the MTC, to feel like you're only learning Gospel terminology and such, when another part of you wants to just study everyday comman-place Hmong. But Brother Sanchez, one of my teachers (who is also something of a hero to me considering he is fluent in English, Spanish, White Hmong, Green Hmong, and pretty good in Thai and Loation as well) told us about how he felt the same way when he was here, but there he realized that we're not learning this language for us. I'm not learning this language for my own benefit. I've been called to learn this language so that I can help God's children, specifically the Hmong in California, come unto Christ through accepting his restored Gospel. Everything else will fall into place once I am actually out in the field.
My teaching appointments with our "investigators" has turned from something I dread into something I love! I say "investigators" because it is really just our teachers putting on roles, but man are they good at being in character. For instance, Brother Sanchez acts as a 65 year old Shaaman, or the native spiritual-leader, and has often busted out into these yelling-to-heaven prayers when we've asked him to pray. Anyways, I used to just stress out over these (we usually have two a day with different people) because I felt like I wasn't prepared. But it's gradually turned into now where if I know I've worked my hardest to prepare and take the Spirit with me into the lesson, they are pretty amazing! The Spirit for me acts in such subtle ways, more subtle than I think I've ever understood, and it's been amazing even in these pretend teaching-appointments to feel a prompting of the Spirit and to act on them, and then later to see it is what was needed. Nothing is more rewarding then being engaged in preparing to serve the Lord.
More importantly, I'm so excited to teach the people and help them come unto Christ. I had something of a mini-epiphany in class the other day. It's really easy here, learning a language at the MTC, to feel like you're only learning Gospel terminology and such, when another part of you wants to just study everyday comman-place Hmong. But Brother Sanchez, one of my teachers (who is also something of a hero to me considering he is fluent in English, Spanish, White Hmong, Green Hmong, and pretty good in Thai and Loation as well) told us about how he felt the same way when he was here, but there he realized that we're not learning this language for us. I'm not learning this language for my own benefit. I've been called to learn this language so that I can help God's children, specifically the Hmong in California, come unto Christ through accepting his restored Gospel. Everything else will fall into place once I am actually out in the field.
My teaching appointments with our "investigators" has turned from something I dread into something I love! I say "investigators" because it is really just our teachers putting on roles, but man are they good at being in character. For instance, Brother Sanchez acts as a 65 year old Shaaman, or the native spiritual-leader, and has often busted out into these yelling-to-heaven prayers when we've asked him to pray. Anyways, I used to just stress out over these (we usually have two a day with different people) because I felt like I wasn't prepared. But it's gradually turned into now where if I know I've worked my hardest to prepare and take the Spirit with me into the lesson, they are pretty amazing! The Spirit for me acts in such subtle ways, more subtle than I think I've ever understood, and it's been amazing even in these pretend teaching-appointments to feel a prompting of the Spirit and to act on them, and then later to see it is what was needed. Nothing is more rewarding then being engaged in preparing to serve the Lord.
So it turns out the MTC has been pulling a fast one on us three Hmong Elders. Randomly one day, our teacher was like, "Oh, and later today, we're going to have a missionary come in who is also speaking Hmong to learn with you guys." Okay, how did we not get the memo there is another Hmong missionary here in the MTC. Turns out that Elder Moua is a native Hmong who grew up in Georgia and is only here in the MTC for three weeks learning the fundamentels and how to read in Hmong, then he's out of here. He is so awesome though! He actually seemed impressed with what we knew considering we had only been there 4-5 weeks, which was definitely a much needed confidence booster.
It turns out that many Hmong people, especially the younger generation that grew up in America, can't read in Hmong because they were never taught and aren't as involved in the old culture, so there's a chance I could be teaching Hmong people how to read in Hmong. I know - what the? I've also heard little snippets from out teachers that we could be doing tons off different things for the people, varying from translating for Hmong people if the need to go to court or get a drivers license and don't speak English, translating at hospital bedsides, and tons of stuff like that! No pressure there! :)
And I don't know if I mentioned this already, but I'm pretty sure that when I get back I'm going to have the opportunity to help the church translate General Conference talks into Hmong! How awesome is that! The other day, we got onto LDS.org and looked up some of the church talks in Hmong, and sure enough we could recogive that it was our teachers translating!
And I don't know if I mentioned this already, but I'm pretty sure that when I get back I'm going to have the opportunity to help the church translate General Conference talks into Hmong! How awesome is that! The other day, we got onto LDS.org and looked up some of the church talks in Hmong, and sure enough we could recogive that it was our teachers translating!
Let me know how things are going back home! I know you guys probably already told be, but is the family coming up for some of the Summer? Or you guys going somewhere? I wish I could be there, but know I'm in the right place serving the Lord. I miss you guys more than I can say. I pray for you every night. I know the Lord is watching over and protecting our entire family. And hey, we're 1/24 through the mission already! On this end, things really are flying by, hope it's the same back home. I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!
- Es Daws Tooj
- Es Daws Tooj
P.S. - So in the Cafeteria today I randomly ran into Brother and Sister Johanson!! They're here for language training and then off in a couple weeks! It was awesome!
P.P.S. - Some more random Hmong words for ya
- Savior - tus Cawm Seej
- Restoration - txum tim rov qab los
- Church - txoj moo zoo
- I'm serious, for every one word in English it is 5 words in Hmong!
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